The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-21
a DEADLY CRASH.

Two Ocean Steamers Collide and One Hum
dred and Forty Lives Are Lost.
Special to the Indianapolis journal
LONDON, Nov. 2o.-The Netherlands-lin
steamship W. A. Scholten, which sailed from
Rotterdam for New York yesterday, came into
collision. ten miles of Dover at 10 o'clock last
night, with the steamer Rosa Mary, and sank
almost Immediately. The Scholten had on
board passengers and crew to the number of
$50. and of these only ninety are known to have
seven have been landed at Dover dead, anc
fears are entertained that the others were also
lost though a few of them may have been
picked up by passing vessels.
AS soon as the news of the disaster reached
Dover vessels were sent to the rescue, but it
does not as yetappear that, with the exception
of the ninety persons rescued and brought here
by the steamer Ebro, any lives have been saved.
The steamer Rosa Mary is lying off Ramsgate,
with her bows badly stove and her timbsrs
strained. The heads of the Scholten's masts
are visible ebove the water from the Do
YER pier. A dense fog prevailed when the col
lison occurred, and the Scholten was moving at
half speed. No warning of the collision was
given. the sudden shock of the contact on the
port bow having been the first intimation to the
officers of the Dutch steamer of the proximity of
another vessel The officers OF the Scholten
deny that the passengers on board the steamer
were in bed but it is the fact, nevertheless,
deck in their night clothes Immediately
after the collision. AS soon the extent of the
damage to the vessel was ascertaIned the order
was given to lower the boats. The ship carried
FIVE boats, but only two of them were available
the other three being unssaworthy. The two
sound boats were lowered, and at the same time
il was reported on deck that the ship was max
ing water rapidly, and must soon go down. The
scenes which followed this ANNOUNCEMENT 80
terrible beyond description. Shrieks. prayers,
groans and mingled with the hoarss
voices of the officers giving orders and the cries
of children clineing to their mothers skirts. rem
dered still more heartrending the terror-laden
shreks of the latter. The officers displayed ad-
mlrable GOODNESS and remained on the bridge and
at other posts of duty until the last, several of
them who were provided with life-bel.s, remain
ing until the vessel settled and lsaping into the
sea as she went down
Within twenty minutes after the two ships
came together the Scholten was at the bottom
of the channel. All of the passengers and crew
who had been fortunate enough to procure life
belts f1oated and were picked up by the Ebro's
boats, which cruised about until o'clock this
T.
the rescued passengers who does not mourn the
loss OF wife, husband, brother. sister, child,
and in some cases only cne member of alaree fam
lily is found to have been saved. The survivors
were supplied with clothing by the oficera and
crew of the Eoro as far as possible. and addi-
tionai garments were furnished to the unfortu-
mates upon their arrival at Dover
There is considerable discrepancy between
the statements of the passengers and those of
the officers of the Scholten, as there is also be-
Mary. The officers of the Rosa Mary declare
struck by the Scholten. while the second mate
of the latter AYERS that he was on deck when the
collision occurred and saw tho Rosa Mary come
through the fog and strike the Scholtep in the
fore-rigging The captain of the Rosa Mary
corroborates the statements of his officers, and
stoutly declares the counter statements of the
Scholtens officers to be incorrect. The Rosa
Mary, he says, was anchored just southeast of
South Sandhead when the Scholten struck her.
Finding that his vessel was considerably dam
aged, he made for Dover roads, where he dropped
anchor and made suitable provisions for keeping
the ship aioat. being still unaware of the full
extent of her injuries
1t is stated that mackerel boat, just arrived
at Hastings, reports that steamer across
and damaged her nets in the early part of last
night. and that the mackereI boat gave chase to
the vessel in the hone of Identifying her and
claiming compensation. While chasing the
steamer the crew Of the mackerel boat saw her
run into the Scholten. A color of truth lie given
to the story by the fact that fragments of fish
ing nets were found on the bows of the Rosa
Mary.